Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/194 of 20 January 2025 setting up the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI-ERIC) (notified under document C(2025)170)
Date: 2025-01-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Subjects: Jew, concentration camp, consortium, crime against humanity, ethnic cleansing, operation of the Institutions, research body, research infrastructure, research programme, scientific research




L_202500194EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/194


31.1.2025







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2025/194
of 20 January 2025
         
setting up the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI-ERIC)


(notified under document C(2025)170)


(Only the Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, German, Polish, Romanian and Slovak texts are authentic)
(Text with EEA relevance)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 723/2009 of 25 June 2009 on the Community legal framework for a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) (1), and in particular Article 6(1), point (a), thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom submitted to the Commission an application in accordance with Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 723/2009 to set up EHRI-ERIC (‘the application’).












(2)


The applicants have agreed that the Netherlands would be the host Member State of EHRI-ERIC.












(3)


Regulation (EC) No 723/2009 has been incorporated in the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) by Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 72/2015 (2).












(4)


The Commission has, pursuant to Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 723/2009, assessed the application and concluded that it meets the requirements set out in that Regulation. In the course of the assessment, the Commission obtained the views of independent experts in the field of Humanities and Social Science.












(5)


The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 723/2009,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1

1.   The European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI-ERIC) is set up.


2.   The essential elements of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC as referred to in Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 723/2009 are set out in the Annex.



Article 2
This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Israel, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.




Done at Brussels, 20 January 2025.


For the Commission

Ekaterina ZAHARIEVA
            

Member of the Commission






(1)  ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/723/oj, as amended by Council Regulation (EU) No 1261/2013 of 2 December 2013 (OJ L 326, 6.12.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1261/oj).

(2)  Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 72/2015 of 20 March 2015 amending Protocol 31 to the EEA Agreement, on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms [2016/755] (OJ L 129, 19.5.2016, p. 85, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2016/755/oj).




ANNEX

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE STATUTES OF EHRI-ERIC

1.   Name and seat

(Article 1 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


There shall be a distributed research infrastructure called the ‘European Holocaust Research Infrastructure’, hereinafter referred to as ‘EHRI’.












2.


EHRI shall have the legal form of a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) incorporated under the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 723/2009 and be named ‘EHRI-ERIC’.












3.


EHRI-ERIC shall have its statutory seat in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.




2.   Tasks and activities

(Article 2 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


The principal task of EHRI-ERIC shall be to establish and operate the EHRI to enable excellence in transnational Holocaust research, documentation, education and remembrance.












2.


EHRI-ERIC shall work closely with the scientific, archival and educational community. In pursuit of its principal task and in accordance with the provisions of these statutes, EHRI-ERIC shall undertake and coordinate the following activities:






a)


provide an integrated platform for in-person and virtual access to dispersed Holocaust-related sources, information and expertise;










b)


enable the digital transformation of Holocaust archives and research by promoting open access and interoperable standards, methods and tools;










c)


advance scientific knowledge of the Holocaust by supporting multi- and transdisciplinary, transnational and collaborative approaches to research;










d)


promote a culture of openness, learning and exchange by providing access to training, networking and collaboration opportunities;










e)


establish stable partnerships and collaborations with other relevant organisations and infrastructures in and outside Europe;










f)


communicate the social, political and cultural importance of the Holocaust to society as a whole;










g)


advance Holocaust-related public policy agendas through the provision of scientific expertise and infrastructural support;










h)


engage in any other relevant activity that will help EHRI-ERIC achieve its mission and strengthen Holocaust research in the European Research Area.
















3.


The EHRI-ERIC Central Office shall be responsible for coordinating the activities of EHRI-ERIC. EHRI-ERIC shall pursue all of its activities ethically and transparently and shall avoid potential organisational or personal conflicts of interest.












4.


EHRI-ERIC shall pursue its principal task on a non-economic basis, however, without prejudice to State aid applicable rules, it may carry out limited economic activities provided that they are closely related to its principal task and that they do not jeopardise the achievement thereof. Any income generated by such limited economic activities shall be used by EHRI-ERIC to further support its tasks and activities.




3.   Duration and Winding up

(Article 3 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


EHRI-ERIC shall exist for an indefinite period of time.












2.


The winding up of EHRI-ERIC shall follow a decision of the General Assembly in accordance with Article 20(6)(i) of these statutes.












3.


Without undue delay and in any event within 10 working days after adoption of the decision to wind up, EHRI-ERIC shall notify the European Commission about the decision.












4.


Assets remaining after payment of EHRI-ERIC debts shall be apportioned among the Members in proportion to their accumulated annual contributions to EHRI-ERIC over the last five consecutive years prior to the year in which the decision to wind up has been taken.












5.


Without undue delay and in any event within 10 working days of the closure of the winding up procedure, EHRI-ERIC shall notify the European Commission thereof.












6.


EHRI-ERIC shall cease to exist on the day on which the European Commission publishes the appropriate notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.




4.   Liability and insurance

(Article 4 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


EHRI-ERIC shall be liable for its debts.












2.


The Members are not jointly liable for the debts of EHRI-ERIC.












3.


The Members’ financial liability for the debts of EHRI-ERIC shall be limited to their respective annual contribution in the last full year of operation.












4.


EHRI-ERIC shall take appropriate insurance to cover the risks specific to its operation.




5.   Scientific Evaluation Policy

(Article 5 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


The activities and results of the EHRI-ERIC shall be evaluated every three years by an independent panel composed of international experts appointed by the General Assembly on a worldwide basis, without a requirement to be based in a Member or Observer country.












2.


The expert panel shall evaluate EHRI-ERIC’s scientific activities and shall transmit the results of the evaluation to the General Assembly.












3.


The National Coordinators Committee shall assist the panel in the conduct of the scientific evaluation by providing all the necessary information about the activities of the National Nodes.




6.   Access Policy for Users

(Article 6 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


EHRI-ERIC shall grant its users physical and virtual access to Holocaust-relevant resources and expertise. Relevant resources and expertise may be hosted either by the Central Hub or by the National Nodes. In either case, users are provided with a single-entry point managed by the Central Hub.












2.


Whenever possible, access shall be provided on the basis of wide access – i.e. unrestricted, free and open to anyone. In cases where access has to be restricted for capacity reasons, selection shall be undertaken on the basis of excellence.












3.


Information about access opportunities, procedures and evaluation criteria shall be made publicly available on the EHRI-ERIC website.












4.


EHRI-ERIC’s Access Policy shall be the object of a specific regulation document, subject to approval by the General Assembly.




7.   Dissemination Policy

(Article 7 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


EHRI-ERIC shall be a facilitator of research and shall generally encourage as free access as possible to research data and results.












2.


EHRI-ERIC shall encourage users to make their research results available through the EHRI-ERIC repository and/or other repositories within a reasonable period and conforming to the FAIR Data principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability) and within a reasonable period.












3.


EHRI-ERIC shall require its Users to acknowledge the use of EHRI-ERIC.












4.


EHRI-ERIC shall use the most appropriate and far-reaching channels to reach its target audiences, including a website, newsletters, media, social media, workshops, presence in conferences, articles in magazines and journals, and contributions to print, broadcast as well as other channels as may be appropriate.




8.   Intellectual Property Rights Policy

(Article 8 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


The term ‘intellectual property’ shall be understood in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization signed on 14 July 1967.












2.


Subject to any contract between EHRI-ERIC and a third party, intellectual property rights created, obtained or developed by a third party shall be owned by that third party.












3.


Subject to any contract between EHRI-ERIC and a third party, intellectual property rights created, obtained or developed by EHRI-ERIC shall be owned by EHRI-ERIC.












4.


EHRI-ERIC may adopt any additional policy on intellectual property to be approved by the General Assembly.




9.   Employment Policy

(Article 9 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


The selection procedure for EHRI-ERIC staff positions shall be transparent, non-discriminatory and respect equal opportunities.












2.


Employment contracts shall follow the national laws of the country in which staff is employed or in the country where they work, as may be determined by applicable law.












3.


Detailed rules of staff recruitment shall be set out in the implementing rules and shall be adopted by the General Assembly.




10.   Procurement policy

(Article 10 of the Statutes of EHRI-ERIC)








1.


EHRI-ERIC procurement policy shall respect the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and competition.












2.


EHRI-ERIC shall adopt its own procurement rules and procedures, to be approved by the General Assembly.







ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/194/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)